1. Background Information

1.1 Nationality(ies):

1.2 What is your age range? 29 and under 30 to 39 40 to 49 50+

1.3 Where do you live? (please select a country) Afghanistan Afghanistan Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegowina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia (Hrvatska) Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France France, Metropolitan French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and Mc Donald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka St. Helena St. Pierre and Miquelon Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands (British) Virgin Islands (U.S.) Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Yugoslavia Zambia Zimbabwe

1.3.1 Is this your country of birth? yes no

1.4 How long have you lived in your current country? Less than a year One to three years Four to seven years Eight or more years

1.5 What is your status? Check appropriate box:
National of country where I live
Expatriate
Local hire
“Permanent” Resident
Other, please describe:

1.6 What type of organization do you work for? Multinational, head office Multinational, foreign subsidiary Government, foreign representation Government, local Not-for-profit organization SME My own business Other

1.7 How many languages do you speak (with relative ease)? Only my native language Two languages Three languages More than three languages

2. Your International Lifestyle

For each of the phrases below, please check the answer that is most relevant for you.

2.1. I have contacts with (check number of nationalities for each category) ( choose from: 1, 2, 3, more than 3, not applicable):

• Within my team (subordinates) 1 2 3 More than 3 Not applicable
• Among my colleagues 1 2 3 More than 3 Not applicable
• Among my clients 1 2 3 More than 3 Not applicable
• Among my suppliers 1 2 3 More than 3 Not applicable
• Among my partners 1 2 3 More than 3 Not applicable
• Among my family 1 2 3 More than 3 Not applicable
• Among my friends 1 2 3 More than 3 Not applicable

2.2. I travel for business purposes: Every week Twice a month Once a month Every other month Once in a while Very rarely

2.3. In my experience, I feel that these business trips are: Very easy to handle Relatively easy to handle Relatively difficult to handle Very difficult to handle

If you answered "Relatively" or "Very difficult", could you explain why:

2.4. To prepare for a business trip, I (check all ideas that apply):
Try to contact colleagues who have already been there
Read about the local culture in guide books
Visit Internet sites to learn about the local culture
Contact the Embassy or tourist office to get information
Contact the HR office for country-specific training
Consult information pages that are on our organization’s Intranet site
Research on the history of the country
Get a map of the country or city and study it
Read a novel written by a famous local author
Discover the country’s food in a restaurant nearby before I leave
Learn a few key sentences to get by (say hello, please, thank you, etc.)
Other, please describe:

2.5. To feel comfortable or “anchored” wherever I am, I (check all ideas that apply):
Stay in familiar hotel chains
Use familiar travel routes and airlines when I can
Get in touch with my organization’s local team
Build a network of helpful “staff” in regular hotels, restaurants, business centers, etc to
Make an effort to visit any new city I travel to, learn something new
Build a collection I have of objects from different places
Stay connected to my network using internet tools and the phone
Send postcards regularly to my loved ones
Keep pictures of my loved ones with me
Carry around a good luck charm or other mementos that represent key values
Keep in physical shape, exercise and play sport regularly
Meditate, pray
Other please describe:

2.6. I see myself as (check description that is closest to your way of being international):
A sedentary manager working with a remote team: I work in one place and have my team members spread all over Europe
An “exported” manager: I have been sent to a foreign country, in which I have no roots or ties
A “bicultural” manager: I have expertise and knowledge in 2 countries and I feel at ease in both, without being more committed to one than the other
A “local”: I have adopted the local culture as my own, understanding the local expectations and adapting to these in an effective way
A “serial expat”: I’ve lived in many different countries and enjoy the expatriate lifestyle. I can’t imagine returning to my country of origin…
A “chameleon”: Wherever my business travels take me, I blend in, adapting from country to country, doing my best to fit in
A “global manager”: I have my family in London, my office in Paris, my cottage in North Carolina, my clients anywhere. My home is almost a plane…
A “commuter”: I work a few days a week in one country and go home to family in another on week-ends…
A “globe-trotting business traveler”: I’m always ready for my next short-term assignment…
Other, please describe:

3. Thriving in an International Environment

For each of the phrases below, please check the answer that is most relevant for you.

3.1. I feel my multiple facets, including my international experience and skills, are recognized by (choose from: no, not really, somewhat, yes):

• My company (as reflected by the policies, HR programs, etc) No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My direct boss No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My colleagues No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My subordinates No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My international friends No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My childhood friends No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My extended family No Not really Somewhat Yes
  
  
• Comments:

3.2. I can make the most of my experiences
(Scale from one to ten, 1 meaning “No, I can’t” and 10 meaning “Yes, I surely can”) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3.3. I feel that there is a gap between my experience and attitude and those of (choose from: no, not really, somewhat, yes):

• My company (as reflected by the policies, HR programs, etc) No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My direct boss No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My colleagues No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My subordinates No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My international friends No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My childhood friends No Not really Somewhat Yes
• My extended family No Not really Somewhat Yes

3.4. If organizations want to leverage the diversity of their teams, they will need to (check all that apply):
Hire more international recruits
Reflect on the type of international manager they are currently recruiting
Hire more third-national managers (not just those from the head office)
Offer more support for short-term assignments
Bring in better tools for remote teams and virtual communication
Tap into the experience of returning expatriates
Distribute power balance between corporate office and subsidiaries
Expand notion of diversity to include gender, age, ethnicity, etc
Create specific actions and processes to promote diversity as a strength
Other, please describe:

3.5. My degree of motivation today is: a. Very high b. Rather high c. Rather low d. Very low

3.5.1. If answer a or b, why is it high (check all answers that apply)?
Challenging project
Enticing financial rewards
Comprehensive benefits package and HR support
Hardworking and stimulating team
Multicultural environment
A chance to use all of my skills and experience
Professional recognition
Significance of the project I’m involved in
Other, please describe:

3.5.2. If low (answer c or d), what would the organization need to provide to bring it up (check all answers that apply)?
Clear vision
Better understanding of objectives and expectations regarding my role
More recognition and feeling that I count
More opportunities for learning
More money
A more competent team
More freedom in making decisions that affect me and my work
A sense of significance regarding the project
A challenge
More international dimension
Better support for my family
A chance to express my talent
More free time for myself
Other, please describe:

 

4. Moving Forward

For each of the phrases below, please check the answer that is most relevant for you.

4.1. In the next 5 years, I would like to:
stay where I am, with limited short-term assignments and business trips
stay where I am with more frequent short-term assignments
move to a new country
return to my country of origin
Other, please describe:

 

5. My advice to managers going international:

6. Open message to HR and mobility managers on how they can better serve you and meet your expectations as an international manager:

7. Any other comments are welcome:

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